


There was no choice to make

by sherlylikeswaffles



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, angst with a fluffy end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:02:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8286761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlylikeswaffles/pseuds/sherlylikeswaffles
Summary: Felicity decides it's about time that Oliver knows she is dating Billy. But she can't deny that she expected a different reaction from her ex-fiancé.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't like this new boyfriend at all. This is so unnecessary but I don't want him to be bad guy. Felicity doesn't need this drama. So this is my take on how the show could and should get rid of the boyfriend without anyone getting too hurt.

Felicity knew she should tell Oliver about Billy. Billy had already hinted on the fact that he didn't meet any of Felicity's friends several times. And the lie about her friend's maid had simply been terrible. “My friend ran out of sports bottles” - level terrible. 

So now when she thought about introducing Billy to her friends, Oliver was the first who came to her mind. But shouldn't he be the last? Who introduces their new boyfriend of a few months to their ex-fiancé who happens to be mayor? And yet, Oliver was her best friend. He was the person she spent the most time with, the person she knew better than herself, the person who knew all her secrets, even the fact that she dyed her hair. Except, Oliver didn't know she was dating Billy. If Oliver had been her best female friend, she would have been the first to know. 

But Felicity had never had tons of friends, especially female friends. And having a secret identity and a very demanding night job, didn't really help at this whole making new friends business. Laurel had been her best female friend. But she was gone. Then there was Thea. But she couldn't talk to Thea about her new boyfriend either. And John, oh she missed him so much. But he wouldn't react happily to her new boyfriend either. He would just try to send Oliver and her to marriage consoling. But there was still Lyla. She hadn't seen her in weeks and she might have a somewhat impartial opinion on this whole Billy matter. Felicity called Lyla and just half an hour later, she rang at Lyla's door. 

“Hey Felicity! It's so good to see you!” Lyla pulled Felicity into a hug.

“Hey Lyla! How are you?” Felicity asked once they had gotten inside Lyla's flat. The reason why Felicity hadn't been at Lyla's as much as she used was not really that she was too busy but because she felt John's absence too much there. 

“I'm...okay,” Lyla said and Felicity knew that this meant that she actually wasn't but she didn't want to talk about it. She smiled knowingly and picked up Sara who sat on the floor playing with her favorite teddy bear, a gift from Felicity. 

“And how are you, little sunshine?” Felicity asked the toddler and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Sara laughed and pulled at Felicity's ponytail.

“There's a reason why you came here tonight,” Lyla said. It wasn't even a question.  
Felicity nodded and gently sat Sara back down on the floor. 

“Yeah...well...the thing is you are probably the only one I can talk to about this.”

“Is it life threatening?” Lyla asked. 

“No, no, no...at least I hope not. No, not really...Oliver is above that,” Felicity stopped. Wrong words, terrible words. Of course, she didn't expect Oliver to kill Billy. After all, he hadn't killed Ray…

“So this is about Oliver, huh?” Lyla smiled. “Well, if it isn't a life and death situation, I could make us a nice cup of cocoa, what do you say?”

“I'd love that,” Felicity said, pulled off her coat and sat down at the kitchen table, while Lyla started to heat up some milk. 

“So Oliver…?” Lyla inquired when Felicity didn't start talking.

“So Oliver...doesn't know that I have a new boyfriend,” Felicity confessed and it felt good to have finally told someone about Billy. 

“You have a new boyfriend?” Lyla asked surprised. 

“Yes...I haven't told anyone about him yet.”

“Who is he?” 

“His name is Billy Malone and he's a detective of the SCPD. That's how we met...”

“And how long have you been dating Billy?”

“For about two months now.”

Lyla purred the cocoa into two mugs and placed one in front of Felicity. Then she sat down across from her. 

“How did this happen?” It was obvious that she wasn't too happy about these news. She had probably been working together with John to get Oliver and Felicity back together. But still, her reaction was mostly curious. 

“What exactly do you mean with “how it happened?” We met when I tried to figure something out for Green Arrow business. He was kind enough to help me out and not ask too many questions. And then he asked me out to dinner. I told him no. That I wasn't ready to move on et cetera. But then we ran into each other again a few days later and he asked me out again. So I said yes. We had dinner. It was nice, I guess and we went out again...” Felicity had shortened the story a lot. Billy had really needed a lot of convincing to get her to go out with him. But eventually, she had agreed. Not really because she was into him, but because she felt like she needed that to get over Oliver, to move on and to still be able to see him every day. Her plan hadn't worked out as she told Lyla. Whenever she was around Oliver, she felt that there was still this connection between them. 

“Felicity,” Lyla told her wisely, “when you love someone, really love them and let them completely into your heart, there is no unloving them. You can't just turn this feeling off and pretend like nothing happened. I've been there myself. When John and I had gotten divorced, we sort of lost touch for a while but then he started digging around about Floyd Lawton. I saw him again and it felt for a moment like we were still together. I remembered all the reasons why I fell in love with him.”

Felicity had listened closely and in her eyes was a deep understanding for her friend and the feeling she had just described. “Lyla, I'm not quite sure what I expected you to say...I guess I wanted you to tell me that everything will be fine. That I can tell Oliver that I have a boyfriend and that he won't shoot an arrow through his chest. That I can have a normal life.”

Lyla let out a short laugh. “Felicity, I don't know Oliver as well as you do but I don't think he will be too happy about your boyfriend. On the other hand, he won't harm him in any way. He would never do anything to hurt you...again.”

“So you think I should tell him? Because well, Billy hinted...or rather said that he would like to meet my friends...I've always made up excuses but I'm tired of keeping secrets.”

“Then you may have chosen the wrong life,” Lyla laughed and then continued more seriously: “But I get what you mean. Introduce them to each other in a public place and nothing too bad will happen.”

Felicity left Lyla, feeling better than before. It had felt good to talk to Lyla even though she hadn't exactly said what she hoped Lyla would say but she heard what she needed to hear. 

She had made her decision and called Oliver to see if he was at the Bunker. He was and she hurried to get there. Oliver was working out at the salmon ladder. This time he was shirtless. He finished his round and then sprang down to greet her.

“Hey, you wanted to talk to me? Are you okay?” Oliver asked concerned. 

For a moment she considered telling him about how she felt about Havenrock. But this was an issue for another time. Instead she smiled and said: “No, I'm fine...there's just something that I need to tell you but I didn't really know how and how you would react.”

“React about what?” Oliver had come closer to her and was now close enough for her to touch him. 

“Oliver, I'm seeing someone,” Oliver seemed to clench his jaw like he did when she was patching up one of his injuries but otherwise he didn't react.

“And I mean seeing as in we go out on dates and...yeah I should stop talking... I just wanted you to know because I didn't know if I should tell you... but I don't want to keep it a secret or that you find out about him any other way.” Felicity watched Oliver closely but he was just his stoic self. One who didn't know him as well as she did, wouldn't notice that he had reacted at all. But it was the look in his eyes that told her that she had just told him something really hurtful. 

“I'm sorry...” she added when he didn't say anything.

“Don't be,” he finally whispered and then added in a normal voice: “Really, you shouldn't have felt this scared to tell me that you moved on...from us. I get that there's no us in the way it used to be. I just hope he makes you happy.”

That was the same thing he had said when she had started dating Ray. John had told her that Oliver had smashed a bunch of stuff in their old Arrowcave after he had secretly watched Ray and Felicity kiss. Compared to that, Oliver seemed surprisingly calm. Too calm.

“You don't want to know who he is?” Felicity asked cautiously. 

“If you want to, you can tell me. I trust that you already did a full background check on him.”

Felicity nodded. Indeed she had checked Billy's background. Still, she didn't really know him yet. She knew what school he went to and with what grades he graduated from the police academy. But she didn't know what he looked like when he was trying to hide pain or how to see which smiles were real smiles and which ones were fake. 

Felicity felt like it might be best to leave Oliver alone for a while so she turned around towards the elevator. But before she stepped into it, she had to turn back to Oliver. 

“Please don't take this the wrong way, but you seem really...not upset. Obviously I don't want you to be upset. I'm just wondering if you are putting up a show to make this easier for me and then once I'm gone you gonna smash the Bunker into pieces or something.”

Oliver grimaced. “Felicity, of course I'm upset...but I try to control my emotions. You don't have to worry, I won't harm your computers or the bunker...or your boyfriend. I'll just wait for the next team practice.”

Felicity frowned.

Oliver grinned. “I was just kidding. Really, I'm going to be okay. Don't worry. Don't feel guilty.”

“I would feel better if John was here.”

“Me too,” Oliver admitted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Billy talk about her friendship to Oliver. And Felicity can't help but compare Billy constantly to Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first of all, thanks for reading and commenting on this fic. I know this whole boyfriend thing makes every Olicity shipper quite emotional and I understand if you don't particularily like to read about him but I promise you in this fic, Oliver and Felicity will end up together again. It just takes some time and a little angsty talks for them to figure things out. I have been told, that it doesn't make any sense how I described why Felicity would date Billy. I tried to make more sense in this chapter but to be completely honest, I'm not quite sure how this could happen...to me, it seems out of character for Felicity to move on from Oliver this fast and then to keep it a secret from Oliver and the others. I hope the writers found a way to fix this...sooooon.

On her way back to the loft, Felicity called Billy and told him that she wanted to meet him for lunch the next day. Exhausted and a little nervous, she fell into bed. Her last thought before she fell asleep was of Oliver. She wondered what he was doing right now and if he really didn't need to break something. Just to be sure, she turned up the volume of her phone's ringing tone and went to sleep. 

 

“Hey!” She greeted Billy with a light kiss and sat down across from him at the restaurant. 

“Hi! What's up?” Billy replied. Felicity secretly studied him over the top of her menu. Not for the first time, she wondered how she had ended up with him. Billy was good looking. Not as breathtakingly handsome as Oliver was but to be fair, Felicity's standards were just too high. His brown hair was a little unruly. His smile was nice and it truly touched his blue eyes. He made her laugh at the right moments. And he could listen without interrupting at the wrong moments. When she had finally agreed to go on a date with him, she had felt as normal as she hadn't in a long time. Billy didn't expect of her to save the world from a nuclear bomb. He just saw her as a smart girl with nice blonde hair and colorful dresses. Being with Billy felt a little like she was living someone else's life. A normal life. A easy life. Yeah, maybe even a bit boring. Billy was the kind of guy you would normally want to show your family so they could tell you that he's the perfect son-in-law. 

Although Felicity's family would react quite differently. She didn't really care what her dad thought of her choice of boyfriend but her mom was still very much in favor of Oliver. “You'll never find a man this handsome who can cook”, her mom had repeated over and over. And the fact that Oliver kept texting with Donna behind Felicity's back, didn't make things any easier. It wasn't just Oliver's cooking skills, that Billy lacked. It was so much more. But most importantly, Felicity felt like Billy was good for her but not right. And it didn't help that she kept comparing him to Oliver in her head. 

Felicity ordered something to drink and told Billy: “You hinted that you have never met any of my friends.”

“Several times,” Billy said.

She smiled guiltily and continued: “Yeah, I know. So I wanted to tell you why that is.”

“Okay.”

“I didn't introduce you to my friends because they are Oliver's friends as well.” It was probably best not to start with the fact that Oliver was her best friend. 

Billy frowned. “Oliver as in Oliver Queen, the mayor, your ex-fiance?” 

“Yep, that's the only Oliver...I mean the only Oliver who I really know and the Oliver I'm talking about,” Felicity rambled

“Okay...so who are your friends?”

“One of my closest friends was Laurel Lance.”

“Wow, the Black Canary. I mean I guessed that you knew her personally. She and Queen...Oliver were friends. But I didn't realize you were that close...I'm so sorry about her,” Billy looked down at the table. He seemed unsure what he should say next.

“Yeah...she was really special and a really good friend. And another good friend of mine is John Diggle. He used to work security for Oliver but now he went back to being a solider. And then there's Curtis Holt. We used to work together at Palmer Tech. He's a tech genius.”

“Of your best friends, one died and one is a solider on duty? So you could introduce me to Curtis, couldn't you?” Billy asked.

“Yeah, I could. It's just...Curtis is really bad at keeping secrets and if he knew about you, he would probably tell Oliver.”

“So that's what this about? You don't want your ex to know about me? Why? What is he gonna do? He's the mayor...” Billy asked confused. 

Oh, if you only knew what Oliver was capable of, Felicity thought to herself. 

“I...I guess I just didn't want things to be even weirder between Oliver and me,” Felicity admitted. This was probably not the best way to phrase this. 

“What do you mean? It's always a little weird between exes but as long as you don't have to see them, it's okay,” Billy tried to make her feel better. But he managed to do the opposite. 

“Well, that's the problem. Oliver and I...we still see each other every day.”

“Wait! What?” Billy knocked the menu off the table in his shock but he didn't seem to care. He looked at Felicity in bewilderment. “Are you telling me that you are hanging out with your ex every day? So every time I call you and you are at a friend's place...you are with Oliver Queen?”

“Yes...no...I mean, not always. I also hang out with Thea, Oliver's sister or Curtis or all four of us hang out.” By hanging out she meant fighting crime or training the new team. But she couldn't tell Billy about that. To him it had to look like, she just had nothing better to do than hang out with her ex. 

“So you didn't tell me about your “friends”, Billy put a mock emphasis on the last word, “so that not Oliver Queen wouldn't be jealous of me but that I would be jealous of him?”

“Why would you be jealous of Oliver?” Felicity asked and as soon as she said it she realized it was a stupid question. 

“Because you spend all your free time with him. He gets to see you every day. And what do you even do with him? When you hang out?”

Oh no, she shouldn't have said anything. Now, she would have to lie to Billy even more. But Felicity tried to stay as close to the truth as she dared. 

“I've known Oliver for a long time...since I first started working at his parents' company. We've been best friends for a few years before we even started dating. It didn't work out between us...with us as a couple but once you've known someone for so long...you can't just say it's over and walk out of each others' lives forever. I encouraged and helped Oliver to become mayor and I still believe he's doing a great job. But he's new to this and he still needs my help to ...sa….” She was about to say “save” this city but that sounded too much like something the Green Arrow would say, so she hurried to say “improve this city” instead. 

Billy considered this for a moment and said: “I voted for him, too. But I...Felicity, we haven't been dating for a long time. And yet, all this time you lied to me...you didn't tell me that you are still best friends with your ex. Friendships between a man and a woman never work out. You said it yourself. You and Oliver were just friends and then you started dating and that it can never be completely over. So how will I know you are not going to end up with Oliver again?”

“That's ridiculous...nothing is going on between Oliver and me. You have to trust me,” Felicity told him. There it was again: trust. She had felt like Oliver had never completely trusted her. But now the sides have changed. Billy didn't even trust her to keep her hands of her ex-fiance. 

“I don't know if I can...” Billy said. Felicity wanted to reply but she was interrupted by her phone. She didn't need to look to know that it was Oliver. She reached for her phone and Billy shot her a confused look. 

“We are in the middle of something important. Who is it?”

Felicity checked the screen. She was right. It was Oliver. In the past weeks, whenever Oliver had called, she had made up an excuse and left to take the call or she had said it was from her mom. Billy must have thought that her mom was quite clingy. 

“It's Oliver,” Felicity replied. From the look on Billy's face, she knew she had just confirmed his worst nightmare. 

“Please don't...we are not done talking,” Billy pleaded with her but Felicity didn't even think twice. She took the call and stood up. 

“Hey, what's up?” she asked. 

“Felicity, where are you? Evelyn got us a lead on Tobias Church. I need you to analyze it and find his base of operation. I'm stuck at the office at the moment but I'll come to the Bunker as soon as possible,” Oliver informed her. 

“I'm with...no...it doesn't matter. I'll get there in half an hour.”

“Are you with your boyfriend? Did I interrupt your date?” Oliver sounded genuinely sorry. 

“No, I mean yes, I was with him but it's not like I'm not used to my dates getting interrupted by criminals every now and then, right?”  
She smiled about the inside joke. Oliver didn't seem to find it funny.

“Felicity, it really isn't that important. You can finish your lunch and stop by the Bunker later.”

“No, it's fine. I was nearly done anyway...see you later!” Felicity hung up before she said something stupid. She walked back to the table where Billy waited for her. 

“I'm sorry. Something's come up and I have to go immediately,” Felicity told him.

“What? What could possibly be so important that you have to leave right this second?” Billy wanted to know. He got up as well and they were now face to face. So far, they hadn't really been into a fight. They had still lived in the bubble of a new relationship. That seemed to be over...maybe forever. 

“I...” God, why was she so bad at coming up with excuses? “They have a problem...a computer problem that only I can fix and if I don't hurry...his website will be full of insults and that would be bad...because publicity.” Not as bad of an excuse as the maid story. But she could still see that Billy wasn't really buying it. 

“Felicity, please don't go,” Billy said and reached for her arm.  
“What? No, I just told you. It's an emergency. I have to leave immediately.”

“Seriously? When Oliver calls, you jump. But I'm pretty sure, you wouldn't do the same for you. I have heard the most ridiculous excuses from you and sometimes I don't see you for days. And then, you always seem to be so tired…There's something going on with you! Something Oliver is part of and I am not...”

“I'm sorry, Billy, I really am but I can't talk about this now. I have to go. See you tonight,” and with this, Felicity left the restaurant. This was by no means the way she had wanted to end this lunch. But it had been necessary. Or had it really? Oliver had said it could wait. It was just a lead...no one was in mortal danger. And yet, Oliver had called and she had reacted. As always over the past four years. She couldn't say no to Oliver just as he would still do everything for her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver meets Billy. Needless to say, they don't really like each other. But they have to spend some time together while they wait for Felicity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't intend this fic to get quite this long but now I've really gotten into it and I planned two more chapters. Unfortunately I don't have my PC with me for the next days and won't be able to keep up with updating every second day. I'm looking forward to your comments. But please, try not to write any spoilers into the comments. Thank you!

Oliver sat in his office and stared into emptiness. Some part of him felt glad that he had interrupted Felicity's date. A different part of him was annoyed because that was simply childish. Felicity had moved on and there was no point in wishing things were different. But he couldn't move on from Felicity just now. He didn't know if he ever could.

There was a lot of paper work laying on his desk and it waited to be signed by the mayor. He tried to stop thinking about Felicity and her new boyfriend and focus back onto his work.  
While he was reading a proposal for better bus services, there was a knock on the door. It was his assistant: "Detective Malone wants to talk to you. He said it's urgent and it's about Ms. Smoak."

"Let him in," Oliver replied automatically but in his head appeared hundred of different scenarios about what might have happened to Felicity. And who the hell was Detective Malone?  
A man in his late twenties entered. His expression was tense as he held out his hand to Oliver and said: "Mr Queen, I'm Billy Malone. I'm not sure Felicity told you about me. I'm her boyfriend."

So that was her boyfriend. Oliver had been right that it would be easier if he didn't know what he looked like because he was definitely good looking. Although he noticed that Malone wasn't particularly muscular. He could take him down easily. But he really should not think about that. 

Oliver shook his hand and tried to remind himself not to shake it too tightly.  
"She didn't tell me you were a detective," he didn't add that he hadn't wanted to know, "what do you want?" He said in his best fake politeness.

"I came here to talk to Felicity. She ran off during lunch to help with your website... said someone has been hacking into it. But when I looked it up, it was running smoothly. So I figured she has already done her magic and we could end the conversation that got interrupted earlier."

Oliver knew two things immediately. One, Malone didn't believe Felicity's story about the website and two, he had looked for an excuse to encounter Oliver. Just why that was, Oliver didn't know.

“Felicity is not here. She's in the...server room. I didn't check but if you say the website is back to normal, it just proves once again that Felicity's computer skills are incredible,” Oliver lied smoothly. 

Malone squinted. Obviously he didn't believe Oliver either. “So where is she? Where is your “server room”?” He wanted to know. 

“It's downstairs. Restricted access only. Sorry,” he told Malone. That wasn't even a lie. These facts all applied to the Bunker as well.

“Okay, I'll just call her then and tell her to meet me up here,” Malone said, pulling out his phone from his pocket. 

“Oh, let me…,” Oliver said quickly and reached for his own phone. Malone frowned but he let him make the call. 

Felicity answered the call after the second ring. “Hey, the recognition software is up and running. I just got...,” she informed him. 

“Oh, great,” Oliver interrupted her and turned his back to Malone. He didn't like the way he was watching him. “Thank you so much for fixing the website.”

“What website?” Felicity asked, confused. 

“Uhm listen, Billy is here and he wants to pick you up.”

“What? Billy? Why? And where is here?” Felicity rambled. 

Oliver tried to keep every emotion out of his reply: “He's here at my office, waiting for you. Maybe you could come up here?”

“Oliver, I'm so sorry. I'll be right there. Give me five minutes.”

“Okay, see you soon,” he told Felicity and to Malone he said: “She'll be here in a few minutes. Feel free to take a seat in the hallway.”

Oliver really didn't want to hate this guy. After all, he couldn't blame him for falling for Felicity. Who wouldn't? But at the same time, he rather not spend anymore time with him. 

Malone didn't move. Instead he asked: “You've still got Felicity on speed dial?” He had good observation skills.

Felicity was Oliver's most frequent contact. He didn't remember a time when he had not had her on speed dial. This had already saved several lives. 

“Yes,” he answered truthfully. 

“I don't want to sound like the jealous new boyfriend. But Felicity and you still spend a lot of time together, don't you?” Oliver thought that he sounded exactly like the jealous new boyfriend but he didn't mention it. What the hell had Felicity told him? What was he supposed to say? He knew that it wasn't normal for exes to spend so much time together but what was ever normal in his life?

“Yeah, well we are still good friends,” Oliver said. And as friends, they spent their time in a secret lair fighting crime and training vigilantes. 

“Felicity never told me...only said that she was the one to break of the engagement...why did you two even break up in the first place?” Now this Malone guy was really getting on Oliver's nerves. But Felicity would be here soon so he tried his best to keep things polite.

“It's complicated,” he answer. "I don't think it's any of your business."

Malone studied him with the expression of a detective who interrogated his suspect. “Did you cheat on her?”

“No, I didn't,” this came out a little more vehemently that he had intended. He used to be a cheater and it was something that still made him really ashamed of himself. 

Malone seemed to believe him because he just nodded. Luckily, before he could ask any more stupid questions, the door opened and Felicity entered. 

“Hey!” she greeted them and stopped in the middle of the two of them, apparently not quite sure who she should address first. 

“Great, you are here. I was wondering if we could continue our conversation back at my place...I got the rest of the day off,” Malone told her.

Felicity looked at Oliver and a silent conversation passed between them. There was something she wanted to tell him and she didn't want to leave. Oliver told her with his eyes that she wanted her to stay as well. She seemed to understand because she grimaced apologetically at Malone and said: “Billy, I'd love to but there are some things I need to discuss with Oliver...about his website. He needs a better security systems and ...uhm yeah... I'll call you when I'm done. Okay?” 

She smiled her cutest smile at him but he didn't seem to find it cute at all. “Yeah, okay...I just really hoped we could spend some time together today.”

“We'll do it another day,” Felicity promised him.

“But I don't know if I will get the day off again any time soon.”

“A cop never really has the day off anyway,” Oliver said and he wished he hadn't said anything because Malone shot him a deadly look. 

“Yeah, well, nothing I can say to change your mind, I guess,” Malone said and leaned in to kiss Felicity. Oliver wanted to look away but somehow his eyes stayed fixated on Felicity. He was pretty sure Malone had aimed to kiss Felicity on the mouth but she only let him kiss her on her cheek. Probably to spare Oliver some pain. Malone left and Felicity and Oliver were on their own. 

“Oliver, I'm really sorry about that. I had no idea he would show up here like that,” Felicity said immediately. 

“It's okay. We would have probably met one way or another. I didn't know he was a detective.”

“Yeah, well you didn't ask, so I didn't tell you.”

“You really seem to have a thing for guy in the crime fighting business, don't you?” Oliver realized.

“I guess I do...” Felicity admitted. 

There was a moment of awkward silence which Felicity interrupted: “We probably should get back to the Bunker. There's something I need to show you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver is not okay with Felicity having a new boyfriend...and he tells her why.

“What do you want to show me?” Oliver asked, strictly concerned about their business as soon as they entered the Bunker. Felicity sat down and typed a few lines. A satellite picture appeared. But before she started to explain what had just appeared on the screen, she turned around in her chair to face Oliver, who stood next to her. 

“During our lunch...I told Billy that you are still my best friend and that we spend a lot of time together...it's...well he had asked me why I never introduced him to any of my friends. And Billy doesn't like it...I mean the fact that we are still friends.”

Oliver hadn't expected Billy to react any differently. He just nodded and muttered under his breath: “I wouldn't like it either.” 

Felicity could still hear him.“What?”

“No guy likes it when his girlfriend hangs out with her ex all the time,” Oliver told her. And he made it obvious that this applied to him as well. He had always been jealous of Ray even though he had known he had no reason to be. Felicity had left Ray for him. 

“Neither do girls like it when the guy they are in love with has not just one but two hot ex-girlfriends he fights with.” Felicity bit her lip as if she wanted to prevent herself from saying anything else. “Sorry. That was inappropriate.” She looked down onto the floor.

“You were jealous of Sara and...Laurel?”

“Of course I was. Sara is a fierce, hot warrior who seemed to me like she excelled at everything when I first met her. And Laurel... Laurel knew you like no one else. When we first started the “crusade”, it was always about saving Laurel, you proving something to Laurel. She was so beautiful, so intelligent, so kind...”

Oliver pressed his lips together and looked at Felicity, deciding what he should say.   
“I didn't realize that you have been that jealous. Especially since it didn't work between Laurel and me. And yet, I have been in love with her for half of my life.” He paused and considered how he should continue. 

“Felicity, there was something else that Laurel said to me before...she died.”

But really, what was the point in telling her that now?

“What did Laurel say?” Felicity urged him gently and slowly got up from her chair to be at the same level as him. 

“Laurel told me to get something out of her pocket. The picture of herself that I had with me on the island. A picture of times when everything was easier…She said to me this: “I know I was not the love of your life but I want you to know that you were mine.”

His eyes had started to fill with tears. Felicity seemed to want to reach out to him but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to. Oliver was lost in the sad memory.  
After a while, he took a deep breath and continued: “That was one of the last words she ever said and then she told me that she wished I would find my way back to you.”

Felicity's breath caught as she heard this last sentence.

“She said that?” she asked although she already knew it was true. 

Oliver nodded and said: “I've been going over and over everything she said in my head. And I'm amazed that she realized something about me, about you.” His voice broke. “You are the love of my life, Felicity.”

Felicity didn't seem surprised by this admission. She just looked at him with sad eyes, not sure what she could say.  
After a while which seemed like eternity to Oliver, she replied: “I've always thought you were the love of mine.”

Oliver didn't know why now, why in this moment when he should just be glad about this answer...but suddenly all the anger and sadness he had been holding back since Felicity had told him about Billy, busted to the surface.

“So you really think I'm okay with you dating someone else?” He shouted and Felicity took a startled step back.

He went on, a little quieter but still as passionate: “I thought that what we had, was something special, something worth fighting for. That finding you, loving you would gave everything that happened to me some sense. Remember how I told you that you were the first person I could see as a person. The first person who I trusted.”

Felicity nodded. Of course, she would remember their first ill-fated date.

“You said just a week ago, that trust was the reason the Original Team Arrow worked so well. And yet, you gave up on me, on us, the very moment you felt like I didn't trust you. But I do. I trust you and I rely on you more than on anyone else. And when I don't tell you something about my past, it's not because I don't trust you but because there are some stories you are better off not knowing.”

A few of those bad memories flashed by inside his mind but he went on: “But I'll always trust you when it really matters. And I hope that you'll understand that...trust...is hard for me because...when I was in Russia, I learned over and over again that the only person I could completely trust was myself.”

Felicity looked at him with shiny eyes. A little part of his brain told him that she looked so beautiful even when she was about to cry.

“Oliver, I'm...glad about every bit that you tell me about your past. It makes me understand you better. When I first met you, there was something about you that made me believe you were a good person and that I could trust you.” And now, she really did reach out to him and placed her palm against his chest. It wasn't a big gesture but it made his heart beat faster. “That hasn't changed.”

“Then please, tell me: Why him?” Oliver desperately wanted to know.

He recalled a time when things were different. When he used to be the one who pushed Felicity away. She had asked him this exact question after he had had sex with Isabel Rochev. Felicity seemed to remember that as well because recognition flickered across her face.   
She was at a loss of words, but eventually she said: “I don't know...I guess he makes me feel normal.”

“But you are not normal, Felicity. You are nothing but extraordinary,” Oliver simply stated. Her words had proven his suspicion that she definitely wasn't in love with Malone.

“I think...I wanted to forget what I have done, wanted to talk to someone who didn't know that I was responsible for Havenrock,” Felicity admitted.

“Havenrock? This is what this is about?” Oliver's voice sounded really soft. 

“I have to think about it constantly. And since we work with Rory…he reminds me of what I have done all the time. You know what's it like to have killed people and I wonder if I'll ever be able to forgive myself,” Felicity told him.

Oliver looked at her with a heart-broken expression. He had always wanted to protect her...not only from harm itself but also from causing harm, from having to live with guilt the way he had to. He had failed her. He hadn't stopped Darhk fast enough to prevent what happened to Havenrock himself. 

“It gets easier with time,” he said eventually, “but no, it will never stop. Some part of me will always feel guilty about the people I killed...even though they might have deserved it. All I can do is try to move on and hope in the end the good I've done will out weight the bad.”

“It does, Oliver, it does.You saved so many lives. You saved this city over and over again. You saved me. And now, as a mayor, you are finally in the position to do so much good in the daylight as well.” 

Suddenly it was too much for Oliver. He took an involuntary step back from Felicity and both, their physical connection and their eye contact broke. This sobered Oliver a bit up. He had been very close to lean in and kiss Felicity. He ached for her and sometimes her proximity was just too much for him. She was so close and yet so far away. It was good to hear that she still believed in him and yet, it didn't seem to be enough. Never enough. 

Oliver slowly turned around and even though he had just got here, he felt like it was best to get some distance between Felicity and him. 

“Oliver!” Felicity called as he walked away.

He turned around as he reached the elevator: “It won't work,” he told her.

“What?”

“I'm not just saying that because I want to have you back...I still value your happiness more than my own and it's your choice. But it won't work out between you and Billy...” It felt weird to use his first name. In his mind, he was just Malone. “if you don't tell him what's going on with you. It was one of the main reasons it didn't work out between Laurel and me...I never wanted her to know about my past, about my secret identity and so I came up with lies and excuses for everything. You blame me for lying but at some point, I guess you just get used to it and you don't even notice how much it has become second nature to you. You have to give Billy a chance to get to know the real you.”

Felicity looked at him for a long time after that. He really would give a lot right now to have the power to read her mind and understand what was going on inside her clever head. 

“You figured out the real me all by yourself,” she said eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm very sorry that it took me so long to update. I didn't have access to a computer and wrote everything the old fashioned way with pen and paper. Thanks for all the comments. This is written out of Oliver's perspective to show how he really feels about Billy. I hope you like this and I'm looking forward to read your comments.   
> And PS: I'm still looking for a beta-reader. If you are interested, leave a comment or message me on tumblr.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity has to break up with Billy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all (as always) sorry that it took me so long to update. As a special threat, I'm going to post the last two chapters at once because I wanted this to end with fluff as promised. But I'm pretty tired and like to apologize for any mistakes, especially typos. Btw I'm still desperately looking for a beta-reader. I hope you enjoy this and I'm looking forward to reading your comments!

Felicity was a mess. Oliver's words still echoed in her head. “You are the love of my life.” This whole “finding your one true love” thing hadn't been something she had believed in before she met Oliver. Oliver had made her want to believe it. He had always managed to make her feel special, to challenge her and praise her, to make her want to be the very best version of herself.

And in this moment, she realized, or rather she had actually always known: There were hundreds of reasons why she had fallen in love with Oliver. And now – she was very much still in love with him.

And if she continued seeing Billy, he might eventually tell her that these three little words and she knew for certain that she would never be able to say them back. She would never say them and mean them to anyone but Oliver. 

Felicity sighed to herself. She really hadn't had the best of luck with men. First, Cooper, who had been a criminal, yet a genius and made her believe that he had died. Then Barry, who had always been in love with Iris and ended up in a coma for nine months. Then Oliver, who had pulled this nearly dead stunt quite a few times. And yeah, Ray had also been assumed dead one. And now Billy, who was a cop. She really had a type, she thought. And yet, Oliver had been the first vigilante she had fallen for and he would be the last.

It wasn't actually that late when Felicity snuggled into her blankets and checked her phone one last time before she placed it on her bedside table and turned on the alarm system. Oliver had insisted that she got an updated version now that he didn't live with her anymore. But the system couldn't give her the feeling of complete safety that she had felt in Oliver's arms. Eventually she drifted off into sleep. 

Billy had scheduled a date for the next evening. Felicity decided that it was the right thing to do and break-up with him. Billy had cooked for them at this place. It smelled a little funny when Felicity entered his flat. Billy's shirt was quite dirty from his obvious attempts at cooking in the kitchen.

He gave her a quick kiss, which she didn't really respond to. But he didn't seem to notice as hurried back into the kitchen. 

“I'm sorry,” he shouted “I don't know how this happened but at first the potatoes were practically ran after I had cooked them and then they kind of dissolved...so I made instant smashed potatoes instead and the steaks are fine too but I messed up the sauce. So here you go,” he placed a plate in front of Felicity, “Steak with smashed potatoes and ketchup.”

Felicity faked a smile and said: “It looks great. Thank you.”

But in her mind, she added another big plus point to the list of reasons why Oliver was better for her. Felicity took her first cautious bite of the steak. It was a bit dry but otherwise the food was okay. At least not worse than the microwave food she had mostly lived of since Oliver had moved out. 

“I'm glad you could make it,” Billy said and Felicity took it as another hint that she had been too occupied with Oliver. It was a good thing then, that she would soon stop devoting her time between Oliver and Billy.

“Could you maybe turn off your phone so we don't get interrupted this time?”

“What?” Felicity stared at Billy in surprise and a bit disgust.

“Oliver can survive a few hours without you,” Billy insisted. 

This remark hit a little too close to home because although Oliver had Crutis, Evelyn and Rene to back him up now, she still worried about the team and Oliver very moment she wasn't with them. Her phone was in her purse which lay on the table next to her and it would ring, when the team needed her, when Oliver needed her.

“No...I mean of course Oliver can survive without me for a few hours. But you are a cop. You should know that a phone call can save lives.”

This seemed to be too much of reasonable point about the phone. 

“Felicity, there's something I wanted to talk to you about,” Billy said.

“I also have something to tell you,” Felicity replied, wondering if he dumped her before she could dump him. But then, she wouldn't have cooked for her. No, it got to something else.

“You go first,” she told him. Curious and a little anxious what he might say. What if he said something that made it impossible to break-up with him? What if he was dying? No, that was ridiculous. Maybe he wanted to suggest that they should move in together?

“Okay, then,” Billy started, “Felicity, I really like you.” Oh, no! Felicity thought. Please don't say you love me. But luckily Billy didn't.

“And I like spending time with you. But I feel like you don't quite enjoy being with me as much. And soo….I have been thinking and I really have a problem with you and Oliver still being best friends. I can't help but wonder why he's so important to you.”  
“I've already told you...” Felicity asked confused. Where was he going with this?

“Felicity, I know I probably should just deal witht his on my own...but I'm just a guy. I don't think our relationship can really have a chance when you continue to spend so much time with your ex.”

Felicity qsquinted: “Are you saying…that I have to stop seeing Oliver?”

Billy studied her for a moment before he replied: “Yes, I mean not completely. But you shouldn't have to see him every day.”

Felicity knew she shouldn't be surprised by this but she really hadn't expected this. Billy wanted to forbid her to see Oliver. Luckily she's already made up her mind about Billy.

“Billy, you are a really nice guy...but I can't do what you're asking of me. Actualy, Billy, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry...I'm so sorry but I have to break up with you. I can't imagine my life without Oliver. And I've come to realize that I haven't been honest with myself and with you as well.”

“What do you mean? You haven't been honest?”  
“It wasn't true that I was completely over Oliver and thought I was ready to date someone else. I rushed into this relationship with you because I wanted a distraction, I guess. A distraction from something really bad that happened to me, from Oliver and my friends, who are all also hos friends. I wanted to pretend that my life was a lot more normal than it actually is. But it's not. My life is pretty complicated.”  
“You never really let me in into your life anyway. You never gave me a chance to understand you. You are surrounded by so many secrets.”  
Billy was right about that. Once again, Oliver's words echoed in her head. Felicity closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. Then she replied calmly: “Yes, I know...there's a lot you don't know about me. I really considered to tell you at some point. But believe me, you are better off not knowing.

“But Oliver knows, doesn't he?”

Felicity just nodded. 

“So just like that you are going to break up with me and get back together with Oliver?” Hurt was written all over his face. 

Felicity hated herself for hurting him. 

“I don't know...I just know that I can't be the girlfriend you want...you deserve. I truly wish you the best of luck and that you find someone who's exactly the right fit for you.”

“I hope he makes you happy,” Billy replied, sounding defeated. Felicity gave him a sad smile. Yes, as long as Oliver was in her life she was happy. 

Felicity had only eaten a few bites of the meal. She quietly pushed her chair backward and got up.It was certainly a lot easier than walking out on Oliver. Still, she felt awful as she walked toward the door, feeling Billy's gaze following her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fluffy happy ending as promised.

Oliver rang the door bell at a place that he had once called his home. Hurried footsteps told him that Felicity was approaching. She opened the door and for a second Oliver was speechless. He didn't know why...he saw her every day. It had to be her smile. She smiled brighter than she had in months. And she hugged him. They still saw each other so often, yet there had been a certain physical distance between them as well. He couldn't just place a hand on her back when he watched her work at her workstation or a little kiss on the top of her head whenever he thought she looked adorable. 

“Hi, you're here,” she breathed into his ear while she had her arms wrapped around him. What was happening?

“Yeah...uhm you wanted to see me?”

“Yes...yeah…, please come in,” Felicity gestured around somewhat awkwardly, “I wanted to talk to you in private. And the bunker is getting rather crowded...with the new team...and John is back and...yes, well I thought home...the loft would be a better place for this.” Felicity finished her ramble. She sat down on the couch and gestured to Oliver to do the same. He sat down with some distance between them. What was she so nervous about?

“You wanted to tell me something?” he asked when Felicity didn't say anything but continued to stare at him intensively.

“Yes...right about that...I don't really know where to start…,” she bit her lip. Another sign that she was rather nervous.

“I broke up with Billy yesterday,” she finally declared.

Inside of Oliver it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest but on the outside he tried to keep a neutral face.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” he said. But he really wasn't.

“No, I mean I'm okay. Fine. It wouldn't have worked between us anyway so it was better I ended it now before...before it became anything real.”  
“Okay,” Oliver replied, unsure what he should say. 

“And you were right,” Felicity announced, picking her index finger against his chest.

Oliver couldn't help but grin: “I usually am. But about what exactly?” He told her jokingly. 

Felicity grinned at him and said: “Oh, you love being right, don't you? You were right that it couldn't work between Billy and me if I didn't tell him about my secret. But as I thought about it, I realized that I didn't want to because even if I told him everything that I've been through, he wouldn't understand...he hasn't been through the same things. But you have. You know me better than anyone. I don't need someone to make me feel normal. I need someone who knows me and loves me for who I really am and not who I pretend to be... And I've talked to Rory and that helped me to see clearer about this whole guilt issue. The guilt will always be part of me but I cannot let it change who I am.”

Oliver looked at her in amazement. Was she really saying what he thought he was hearing?

“Billy told me I should stop seeing you,”Felicity added after a while. 

“He did what?” Oliver asked and his dislike for the guy increased. But then he remembered he should feel sorry for him. He just had gotten dumped by Felicity. 

“He wanted to make me choose between you and him,” Felicity said.

“And you chose…?” Me? He wanted to know but he didn't dare to ask, too afraid of a negative response. 

"There was no choice to make, " Felicity told him. 

Oliver shifted. These were the exact words he had told her after he had saved her from the Count. There had been no choice to make. Felicity always came first.  
And now she told him that there was no choice to make when it should have been a choice between him and Billy. Felicity looked at him. He wasn't sure but it looked like her eyes wandered down from his eyes to his lips and back to lock with his eyes again.

"You are the love of my life and that will never change, " Felicity continued, "I love you, Oliver. I'm so sorry for not realizing this sooner...I missed you so much."

Oliver was thrilled to hear this. His heart leaped of joy and yet, a tiny voice in his head warned him to be cautious.  
"And just like that, we are back together and then what? What if you change your mind again in a few weeks? What if you discover something about me that you don't like? Your breaking off the engagement has broken my heart in a way that I have never felt before and I don't want to go through this kind of pain ever again. "

A tear escaped Felicity's eyes and she reached out to take his hand in hers: "Oliver, I haven't slept through a single night since you moved out. There hasn't been a single day in which I haven't miss you...being with you. And I don't want to waste any more time in which I'm not with you.”

Oliver came slowly closer and whispered: “I missed you, too. So much.” 

And finally, Felicity leaned all the way in and kissed him. This kiss was pure love, sweet and blissful. Kissing Felicity felt familiar and spectacular at the same time. Steadily, the intensity of the kiss increased. It became more and more hungry and powerful. He laid her down onto the couch and took in every inch of her skin. Even with closed eyes, he knew every scar and curve but he didn't want to close his eyes just yet. He drowned into her blue eyes as she looked at him with so much love. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips and he could feel her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the whole fic! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm tired and totally done with the world so I just needed to write some fluff tonight. The comments I have received so far have been very passionate, especially concerning how they treat the new boyfriend storyline on the show and the fact that Billy even excists. This is my take on how I would get rid of the boyfriend and Olicity back together. Let's hope for the best.


End file.
